I don’t remember my jeans being THIS tight…

the trainer’s toolbox

- Beth Beauchemin (Read About Beth)

Wow!  Who can believe that the leaves have changed, the jack o lanterns are out with the compost, and November is upon us.  It feels like only yesterday that Max and I were still bouncing out the door in shorts and tee-shirts.  Now it’s coats, sweaters and jeans!  I love fall (it’s my favourite season!), but the cooler (grey!) days often leave me wanting more fatty foods and less runs around the neighbourhood.  The 2 of those combined (plus a few yummy Thanksgiving and birthday meals, along with Halloween goodies!) usually have my jeans feeling a “little” tighter than I like them to!

So, what’s a girl to do? Well, if these were my pre-baby days it would be MUCH easier – cut down on carbs after lunch, slightly increase my protein intake, increase my water consumption, eliminate “white (sugar, flour, etc), and throw in a few more workouts.  Humph, sometimes I miss the ease of my pre-baby life!  Max is a very healthy eater, but I think I would have a revolt if supper turned into chicken (or fish!) and steamed veggies every night of the week.  Exercise is another story:  I now dream of getting 3 workouts in a week, let along the 5-6 that I easily pumped out in my former life.   And cut out sugar?  Are you crazy? How are you supposed to drink coffee (which is a new life necessity!) without any sugar in it?  You must agree… this is quite a dilemma!  It’s also one that I can’t afford to get too lazy on.  Christmas is around the corner and the last thing I want to do is to go into Christmas already worrying about how tight my jeans are. That means they definitely won’t fit come Jan 2!

It’s clear my old tricks won’t work.  Let’s have a serious look now at what I can do within the boundaries of my current life as a mom.

1. Start looking at what I’m eating. I don’t know about you, but at each meal I was eating my portion, plus often half of Max’s.   If I was to add that all up over the course of the past few months…. (especially including the dessert part) – yikes!  That would explain the tighter pants!  If you are like me, a phrase similar to “we can’t waste food while people are starving” runs through your head when you look at an unfinished plate.  IT’S OK!  People are not going to be any less hungry because you forced yourself to finish not 1, but 2 plates.  In fact, they may even be a little upset with you.  Whatever your child doesn’t eat, either: a) wrap up and save for another meal; or b) toss it into the compost.  Perhaps your servings are too big and you can make them a bit smaller, or perhaps the little one wasn’t hungry.  Either way, keep your fork on your own plate.  It’s much better this way – trust me!
2. Cut out white things. Unfortunately there is no shortcut on this one.  White sugar and white flour (the cornerstone of all things “bad”) are just not good for you, and if you cut them out not only will your midline smooth, but so will your moods.  Need another reason to cut out the white, white sugar has a significant effect on your immune system, and decreases your body’s immune response up to 6hrs after ingesting it.  YIKES!  With the flu scare this season, I need my immune system running at full capacity.  No white for me!  (No, I still haven’t given up on caffeine completely, but I’m taking it in a form that doesn’t need sugar – hello green mint tea!)
3. Increase my water intake. Did you know that the body misreads the “I’m thirsty” trigger, and sends you an “I’m hungry” thought?  When you are hungry, first have a big glass (or two) of water.  If you are still hungry in 20 minutes, then you are really hungry.  If you aren’t, then you were just thirsty!  I’ve just bought a new, really cool stainless steel water bottle – no leaving home without it!
4. Schedule in my workouts. This is an absolute must!  Like anything else, if workouts are not written down they will not happen.  I have found a terrific pilates studio that is on the way from home from where I teach Belly Bootcamp classes (you could just come to our wicked Belly Bootcamp classes – awesome workout AND get to hang with other cool moms!).  It’s a great way for me to sneak my workout and “me time” in!  I also have started to use Max again as a weight… now that he’s a toddler, “games” for him are workouts for me.  Singing “zoom zoom” and lifting him up in the air is a fabulous full body exercise; I combine that with a few (thousand!) laps chasing him around the living room, then finish with him crawling all over me as I try to hold a plank – voila, a very kid and mommy friendly, doable, workout that will make a difference!

So, there is my game plan for the next 6 weeks or so….. stop finishing Max’s food, get rid of white (which also includes that big barrel of Halloween candy that I won’t let my kid eat, but I’m somehow allowed to. What a bummer!), drink even more water (ideally 2-3L/day), and make a promise to myself, via my daytimer, to get my exercise in.  I’ll report back in a few weeks and let you know how it’s going!

Have a great November!

The Personal Trainer Show: Dec. 1/08

Your friendly personal trainer.

personal trainer diary

As a personal trainer, I get countless questions about my own habits.  “How long do you spend in the gym?”  or “How many days per week do you work out?” are two popular questions.  Even more common are the exclamations phrased as questions: “You really eat that?”  or “You really do that?” are variations on the theme.  People are very interested to know whether their mentor really follows her own advice.

Well, I do, most of the time.  Here is your inside look at the life of a personal trainer.

I got to sleep in this morning until 6:00 a.m.  Blissful, blissful sleep…  Many mornings start between 5:00 and 5:30, so this morning felt like a Saturday to me.  My daughter awoke around 6:30 and we had a quick cuddle.  I plunked her into her high chair and gave her some raisin bran with milk.  She loves bran cereal.  Very strange.  But, then again, she’s never met a fruit loop.

I pack my peanut butter sandwich (on delicious omega-3 walnut bread; I heartily endorse Stonemill Breads) and my coffee – which I take with milk and a dash of cinnamon for some extra antioxidants – and head out in the rain to the car.  Clients await.  I relish this commute.  As a new mom, rarely do I get a half-hour uninterrupted to listen to the radio and drink a fresh cup of coffee.  And – don’t tell anyone – I love my coffee.  Caf, decaf, I don’t care – if it tastes like coffee, I’ll drink it.

After clients, it’s my turn to hit the gym.  My personal rule: Never miss a Monday workout.  It’s just a bad idea.  Monday sets the tone for the rest of your week.  I try never to miss a workout Monday through Wednesday.  I sit in the parking garage for a few moments to pull out my notebook and plan out this week’s workouts.  The truth is, I’m so busy planning clients’ programs that I sometimes have to wing it with my own workouts.  Some days I’ll be in the change room, planning my workout in my head.

That’s the essence of Fit Family: accept that life and exercise must co-exist.  Adapt accordingly but sacrifice neither.

Today I manage to find a couple of minutes to plan the week, so I head in for cardio and a combination of legs and shoulders.  I warm up for five minutes on the treadmill, then break into a 6-mph jog for 20 minutes, followed by 5 minutes brisk walking to bring my heart rate down a bit before I hit the weights.  Legs, shoulders, stretch… no shower.  That’s right. No shower.  I don’t have time.  Well, not until the afternoon when the baby is napping, at least.  Rest assured, dear friends, family and clients, I do squeeze in the odd shower here and there.

Shower.  Check.  I get paperwork done and feed myself a spinach salad with chick peas, some milk and a banana.  When the baby gets up, it’s time to play and cuddle.  Then I start on dinner.  I’m making homemade curried chicken with brown rice.  I am not a great cook, but I do have a great memory.  If I read a recipe once or twice, I remember it and adapt it over time.  My husband thinks he really lucked out.  I think it’s funny that he can’t tell there’s no beef in his chili.

That curry probably needs to be checked on…  I can’t remember how long it’s supposed to cook…